Pressing machine



May 9, 1944 1 R. H. REECE ETAL f 2,348,264

PRESS ING MACHINE Filed Dec. 1o, 1940 4 sheets-sheet i wao .9260

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May 9, 1944 R. H. RECE ET Al. 2,348,264

PRESSING MACHINE May 9, 1944.

R. H. REECE El AL PRESSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 10, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 @am .14. .n

May 9, 1944. R ||I REEE ET'AL A 2,348,264

PRESSING MACHINE 4 y Filed Dec. 10, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 .233 13.1 In ven fors.-

Patented May 9, 1944 Robert H. Reece, Holliston, and Alfred G. Gilbert,

South Acton, Mass., Massignors to Reece Folding Machine Company, East Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application December 10, 1940, Serial No. 369,448

2 Claims.

chines and increase the ease, facility, convenience and speedof `their operation.

A `pressing machine of the vtype to which the invention relates comprises a pair 'of cooperating press elements or presser members which are relatively movable toward and from one .another to cause them to close upon and exert and (for a suitable time) maintain pressure upon work interposed between them and thereafter open to release the pressure and work. Usually `there is provided a lower `stationary member, or sooalled buck, and an upper member, Vor so-called head, movable toward the "buck to exert pressure upon work disposed on the latter and away from the buck to release the pressure vand permit the removal and insertion of the work.

The 'invention has for an object to provide a pressing machine Whose operation requires little or no physical exertion on the part of the operator land which, Vby a simple manual adjustment, `can be optionally caused to operate inV continuous'recurrent pressing cycles or to automatically stop' at predetermined times as, for example, when the press elements are closed in pressure exerting .position on the work, in order to increase the duration of the pressing period, or when said elements are completely opened, in order to give the operator more time for arranging the work on the buck, both of which may be desirable with work of certain kinds.

Another object of the invention is to provideV improved .mechanism for vcontrolling the movements of the movable presser member or head in such fa manner as to cause said head to be swung into ,a position sufciently remote from the stationary presser member'or buck, when theA press .is opened, to permit the convenient arrangement of the work on the buck, but, when the press is closed, to approach the buck `in parallel disposition and rectilinear direction `so as not to displace or disturb the arrangement of the i' work :and cause wrnkling thereof.

The invention will best be understood from the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, although it will be apparent to those'.

skilled in the art that said invention, as defined by the claims hereunto appended, may be otherwise embodied without departure from itsy spirit and scope. Y

In said drawings Fig. lis a plan viewjof la machine embodying the invention; p

Fig. 2 is a iront elevational view of the machine;

Fig. 3 is an .enlarged sectional view the line 3--3 of 2;

Fig. 4 is an 'enlarged sectional-view of the Lupper :portion of the machine taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken upon'the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line E-i 'of Fig. 4;

Figs. '1, 8 and '9 are fragmentary sectional detail views of portions .of the machine;

Fig. `10 ,isv an enlarged fragmentary sectional View similar toFig. 4 of :a portion of the machine taken upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1,; and

Figs. 11 and 12 are fragmentary sectional views similar to Fig. 10, vshowing modified forms embodying the invention. V

The machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a hollow box-like frame I0 (Figs. 2, 3, 4, A5 and 6v) having `a bed or stationary presser S secured upon its top by bolts II.v A movable presser M is positioned above the presser S and Ais adapted to be moved into pressure exerting engagement with the latter. Power is 4supplied to operate the machine by a motor I2 (Figs. 2 and 3) carried upon aplatform :supported upon rods `I3 which extend between and are secured 'in bosses I 4 Aon the opposite side walls of the frame I0. A pulley I5, .xed upon the armature shaft of the motor, is connected by a belt I6 to a pulley il rotatably mounted upon a lShaft I8. The shaft i8 is mounted ,for rotation in bearings in the front .and rear walls of the frame l0 and extends through the rear wall. `A pulley I9, integralwith the pulley Il, :is connected by a belt 2D to a pulley 2I fixed upon 'the driven shaft 'of an air compressor Z 'which is supported upon the rods I3. An air conduit 22 connects `the comtaken upon y presser Z `with an air pressure tank 23 which is supported by a frame mountedupon rods 24 xed in 4bosses in the side walls of the frame I0. A steam coil 25 surrounding the tank '23 is vconnected at its opposite ends to a steam supply conduit 2t and a steam exhaust conduit .21. 'I'he motor I2 and ycompressor Z project through an opening 28 (Fig. 3) in the rear wall of the frame I and are enclosed by a casing 29 which also encloses the pulleys 15, I1, I9 and 2|. A clutch element 311 (Fig. 3) is xed upon the pulley I1 and is adapted to cooperate with a 'clutch element '3l slidably keyed upon the shaft I8. A

Worm Wheel 33 xed upon a shaft 34 (Figs. 3, 4, and 6).

A clutch control bar 35 extends along the front t of the machine and is provided at its ends with rearwardly extending projections which are secured to the opposite ends of a shaft 36 (Figs. 3 and 5) which is mounted for rotation in bearings in the side walls of the frame I0.V One end of an arm 31 `is fixed to the shaft 36 and its other end is pivotally connected to one end of a link 38, the other end of which is pivotally connected to a sleeve 39 fixed upon a slide rod 46 which is mounted for axial movement ingbearings .inthe front and rear walls of the frame, One end 4Vof an arm 4| is xed upon the rear end of the rod 40 and is provided at its other end with a fork engaging a groove in the clutch element 3|.

A sleeve 50 (Fig. 5) is slidably mounted upon the shaft v36and carries ra pin 5I engaging a groove 52 in the shaft 36. One end of the sleeve 50 is provided with a groove 53 adapted to be engaged by the forked end 54 (Figs. 3 and 5) of an arm 55, the other end of which is secured to one end of arod 56 which is mounted for axial movement in a bearing formed in one of the side walls of the frame. A n arm 51 is secured to the other end of the sleeve'50 and constitutes a cam follower adapted to engage the periphery of a. cam 5B xed upon the shaft 34. The periphery of the cam 58 is provided with diametrically oppositely positioned raised cam portions 59 (Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9). A brake drum 60 (Figs. 3

`and 4) `is xed upon the shaft I8. A pair of brake shoes 6I 'are pivotally mounted at one end upon an Aanchorpin' 62 fixed to the rear Wall of the frame. "fThe brake shoes 6I are substantially S-shaped and arranged in crossed relation to provide portions 1 adapted to engage and embrace the brake drum 60 and portions 8 adapted to embrace and engage cam surfaces 66 and 61 formed upon asleeve 65 which is slidably mount- Ved'upon the rod 40. The free ends of the brake shoes 6I are connected by a spring 63 tending to vr*move theY free ends of the brake shoes toward one another and move the portions 1 of the brake shoes out of engagementvwith the brake drum 60 and to maintain the portions 8 in engagement with the sleeve 65.

A collar 64 is fixed upon the rod 40 (Figs. 3 and 5). The sleeve 65 is provided with an ear to which one end of a link 10 is pivotally secured. The other end of the link 10 is pvotally connected to one end of an arm'1I the other end of which -is fixed to a shaft :12 extending through the side walls of the frame and rotatably mounted in bearings therein. VA brake control bar 13 extends along the front of the machine and is provided with rearwardly extending portions which are fixed to the outer ends of the shaft 12.

A pair of spacedv U-shaped brackets 15 are secured to the rear wall of the frame I0 by bolts 16 (Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) so as to extend vertically upward-past the pressers S and M. A rod 11 extends between and is secured in the ends of each of the brackets 15. A pair of spaced arms 18 are secured to the movable presser M by bolts 19S Eachof the arms 18 is provided with spaced projections 80 which straddle one of the brackets 15.` An adjustable stop 8| is secured to each of the Vprojections 80 and is adapted to engage a stop 82 fixed in each' of the brackets15 so as to extend laterallyfrom each of its opposite side surfaces. A- shaft 83 extends through and is fixed in each of the brackets V15 and rotatably supports "75 -versely across the pan I 05.

adjacent each of its ends a roll 84 adapted to engage the upper surface of one of the extensions 00,

A block 85 is slidably mounted upon each of the rods 11 and each is provided with a projection 86 extending upwardly between the spaced projections 80 onthe arms 18. The arms 18 are pivotally mounted on stud shafts 3 extending through the blocks 85. Each projection 86 is adapted to engage a stop 81 adjustably mounted in a plate 8B extending across the spaced projections 80 and secured thereto by screws 89. A rod 90 extends between and is xed in the spaced blocks or slides 85.V A block 9| is 'rotatably mounted upon the rod 90 and is provided with a threaded hole in which one end of a rod 92 is secured. The rod 92 extends downward through an opening 29' (Figs. 5 and 6) in the casing 29 and its other end is pivotally connected to the rear end of a lever 93 which extends forwardly through openings 94 and 94 in the rear and front walls of the frame I0. The forward end of the lever 93 is pivotally .a cam groove |00 formed in each of the opposite 'faces of .the cam 98. It will Joe noted Athat in the construction described, the movable presser M is ,supported-for rectilinear movement between the full line positions shown in Figs. 3 and 6 and for swinging movement between the full line and dotted line positions shown in Fig. 3.

Y The stationary presser S and the movable presser M are of substantially identical construction and each comprises a pan-like metal casting |05 of elongated oval form which is wider at one end than at the other and gradually tapers from the wide to the narrow end. The peripheral Wall of the pan |05 is provided at its outer edge with a rabbet |06. A hollow ring-like member forming a chamber |01 'is formed integral with the outer wall of the pan I 05 andl is disposed substantially concentric to the outer periphery of the pan. The chamber |01 is provided with an inlet H3 (Fig. 1) and an outlet I I4 for steam. A partition |I5 is providedinthe chamber |01 between the inlet II3 and the outlet II4 to prevent short circuiting of the steam. Each pan |05 is provided with a porous or permeable cover O forming the operative working surface of the pressers. Each cover O shown in Fig. 10 is formed by an inner perforated metal plate |08 and an outer fine mesh wire screen |09 which are secured to the outer edge of the peripheral wall of the pan lbyscrews |I0. The plate |03 and screen |09, preferably, are covered by a cloth I I provided at its edge with a tube in which a cord II2 is located for securing the cloth in place. I'he closed chamber II6 formed within the pan |05 is divided into four compartments |04 by three partitions II1 (Fig. I) extending trans- Reenforcing members |03 are positioned in spaced relation between the partitions I|1 and are supported in the rabbet |06 lso as to engage the inner surface of the perforated metal plate |08. Each of the compartments I 04 is supplied with steam by branch pipes II8 which are connected to the steam pipe I I9. A plurality of branch compressed air lsupply pipes |20 pass through the chamber |01 and into each of the compartments |04 and are connected to the air supply pipe I2I.

Steam is supplied from the pipe 26 through the pipe |25 and the'branch pipes |315 (Fig. 3) to the chambers |61 and is exhausted through the branch pipes |21 which are connected by the pipe |28 to the pipe 21. A pipe |30 is connected at one end to the steam supply pipe |25 and at its other end to the pipes HS. A-valve |3| (Figs. 3 and 8) is interposed in 'pipe |30 and is opened or closed by a valve member-having a valve stem |32 projecting outside oi the valve casing. A coil spring |33 surrounding the valve stem |32 and interposed between the valve casing and a collar |354 on the valve stem normally maintains the valve closed. Y A lever V|35 is pivotally mounted at one end upon a bracket |36 carried by the casing of the valve i3d andis adapted to engage a cam |31 fixed upon the shaft 3d. For manually operating the valve itl, a rod 'l 38 passes through the front wall of the frameand is slidably mounted therein and in a bracket |39 fixed thereto. A pin MG carried at the inner end lof the rod |38 enga-ges in an elongated slot lill formed in the free end of the lever |35. A spring |42 on the bracket ISQ is adapted to enga-ge a notch |43 in the rod |33 to hold the valve |3| open when def' sired.

Apipe |135 (Fig. 3) connects the compressed air tank 23 with the branch air pipes |2|. A valve |56 (Figs. 3, 5 and T) is interposed inthe pipe maintains the valve closed. A bell crank lever Yli is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon a bracket i553 projecting from the casing of the valve m62 One arm ii of the bell crank lever is adapted to engage the valve stem |41 and the other arm |52 of the bell crank lever is adapted to engage a cam |53 fixed upon the shaft 34. In order to operate the valve lll manually, a rod |55 projects through the front wall of the frame lil and is slidably mounted therein and in a bracket |59 xed thereto` the inner end of the rod IE vengages in an elongated slot |55 formed in an arm |51 fixed to the arm i52 of the bell crank lever 5 at or near its pivot point.- For maintaining the valve |66 open,

when desired, a spring le@ is provided on the f bracket 55S adapted to engage a notch @il formed upon the rod |55.

In Figs. 1l and l2, modified constructions of the pressers S and ll/I are illustrated. In these modifications the pan i is constructed identical to the pan 995 previously described. In the form illustrated in Fig. il, a porous layer of latex L and a layer of padding P extend across 'the open surface of the pan and together with the screen idg are fitted in the rabbet |06', These are covered by a cloth which is secured at its edge to the outer edge of the peripheral wall of the pan by a clamp C. In the form illustrated in Fig. 12, a porous latex pad L extends across the pan |55" and is secured at its edge in the rabbet we" by a clamp C. Fine wire bristles B are embedded in the latex pad L so as to project from its outer surface.

Steam is supplied continuously to the chambers |61 of the pressers S and the air pipes |26 hot. Steam also is supplied continuously to the coil Z5 surrounding the compressed air tank 23 to maintain lthe air hot. 'I'o start the machine, both the clutch control lever 35 and the brake control lever 13 must be A pin |55 carried at M so as to maintain c moved downwardly from the positions. shown in Fig. 3. The rod 56 normally will be in the position shown in Fig. .5 so that .the arm 51 will engage the peripheral surface of the cam 58. When the clutch control lever 35 is depressed, the rod 4t is moved axially to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, to move the clutch element 3| in engage'- ment with the clutch element 3|), thereby con'VA necting the shaft |.8 in driving relation with the motor l2. This 'axial movement of the rod 4B carries the collar 6A, nxed thereon, from the full line to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, the sleeve 65 remaining in the position shown in Fig. 3. However, the machine willl not start until the brake is released by depressing the brake control lever 13.

Depressing the lever 13 causes the sleeve 65 to move to the right upon the shaft 0, as viewed in Fig. 3, thereby moving the cam surface 61 out of engagement with the portions 8 of the brake shoes 6| and permitting the portions 8 of the brake shoes to engage the cam surface 66. This permits the spring 63 to move the portions of the brake shoes (il out of engagement with'the brake drum 6|! to release the shaftl for rotation.

Rotation of the'shai't I8 causes rotation of the shaft 315 through the worm 32 and worm wheel 33. As the shaft S is rotated, the cam 38 carried thereby is rotated. While the cam follower rollsA 99 carried by the lever 93 engage the concentric portion Ibi of the cam grooves lili), the movable presser M will be maintained in pressure-exerting engagement with the presser S as viewed in Fig, 6. When the rolls 99 are in the portion |62 of the cam grooves |06, the lever 93 will be moved about Vits pivot shaft 95 to move the rod 92 upwardly. This causes the slides to move upwardly upon the rods 11 and carry the presser M upwardly out of engagement with the presser S. Engagement of the stops 86 and 81 will maintain the pressers M and S parallel. When the projections engage the .rolls 84, 'the presser M will swing about the rolls 85 as Ian axis from the full line position to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3. The cam follower rolls 99 now will be positioned in the concentric portion I 6| of the cam grooves |86.

As the rolls 93 leave the portions ll of the cam grooves |66 and enter the portions |62, the presser M will swing from the dotted line position to the full line position shown in Fig. 3 and bring the stops 81 in engagement with the stops 86 to maintain the presser Mparallel to the presser S, after which the presser M continues to move downward, in parallelism to the presser or bed S, v`to `the position shown in Fig. 6, with the stops 8| engaging the `stops 32, after which the cam follower rolls 99 again enter theconoentric portions iili of the cam grooves to hold the pressers in pressure-maintaining relation, as above eX- plained.

In the normal operation of the machine, while the rolls 99 engage the concentric portions |0| or |6i of the cam grooves |60, one of the raised portions 59 engages the cam follower arm 51 to rotate the shaft 36 and swing the arm 31 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, to move the rod 4i) to the left, thereby moving the clutch element 3| out of engagement with the clutch element 30 to disconnect the shaft I8 and motor |2. As the rod 4i) is thus moved to the left, the collar 64 thereon engages the sleeve 65 to move the latter to the left and bring the cam surface 61 between the portions 8 of the brake shoes 6| to apply the brake and stop the machine, The

. avoided.

machine may be again started by depressing the clutch control lever 35 and the brake control lever V13 as'previously described. Thus, in normal operation. the machine is brought to a stop when Athe presser M is in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 to permit the clothes or other fabrics to be placed upon the operative surface of the presser S and also the machine is brought to a stop when the presser M is in its pressure-exert,- ing engaging position with the presser S, as, illustrated in Fig. 6, to apply pressure to the fabric for a desired period of timeto press the fabric.

If .desired the means for causing the machine to stop when the presser M is in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 and in the. full line position shown in Fig. 6 can be rendered inoperative. This may be accomplished by moving the rod 55 axiallyto displace the cam follower arm 51 laterally'with respect to the cam 58, that is, to move the arm 51 from the full line to the dotted line.

position shown in Fig. 5. When the arm 51 is in .this laterally displaced location, the presser member M will move between the position shown in Fig. 6 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, repeatedly, or in continuous recurrent cycles, without the machine stopping when the presser M is in either of these extreme positions. This permits the machine to operate more rapidly when it is desired to press small articles which may be inserted on the surface of the presser S easily.

During the operation of the machine, and while the presser M engages the presser S, the cam |31 swings the lever |35 to open the valve I 3| to supply steam momentarily through the pipes I8 and the porous cover O to moisten the fabric to bepressed. At a desired predetermined period of timeafter this supply of steam has been shut off, the cam |53 actuates the arms |5l and |52 of therbell crank to open the valve |46 and supply hot air through the branch pipes |20 to dry the yfabric being pressed. The operation of the machine is so timed that the machine stops after the valve |45 has been closed unless the lever 51 has been laterally displaced with respect to the cam 58. In the latter case, the presser M will move upward as previously described.

Due to the fact that the movable presser is maintained parallel to the stationary presser as it approaches the latter the danger of shifting partv of thek fabric laterally to cause wrinkles is Bui; shutting of the steam spray and, after a. predetermined interval, applying a, spray of hot air for a necessary period, the fabric is practically dry when removed from the machine. Preferably, the machine is arranged so as to perform about fifteen pressing cycles per minute when operating continuously so that pressing and drying of a given article is accomplished automatically'in four seconds. By simply sliding a control rod, the operation of the machine may bechanged so that the movable presser stops at the ends of its path of movement to provide the operator more time, if desired, for positioning fabrics, such as garments, in the machine and to provide any desired extended time interval for maintaining the pressers in pressure exerting position. The amount of pressure exerted may be changedY as desired by simple adjustments. The machine may be used either with the pressers covered with cloth or with the cloth removed depending upon the type of fabric being pressed.

Certain features of the machine above described are not claimed herein, being covered by the claims of another application led January 9,1942, Serial No. 426,156.

l We claim:

1. In an apparatus for pressing fabrics, in combination, a lstationary presser member adapted to support the fabric to be pressed, a complementary movable presser member having a projection extending from one edge, a stationary stop positioned in a plane above said stationary member, a slide movable in a path located between said stop and movable member and perpendicular to said stationary member, said movable member being pivotally connected to said slide, cooperating stop members carried by said slide and movelements, means for automatically closing said elements upon work interposed between them and for thereafter opening the same, manually controlled means for supplying power to said closing and opening means, separate means adapted to cooperate with said manually controlled means for automatically interrupting the operation of said opening and closing means at vpzredeterrnined times, and manually adjustable means for optqnally rendering said interrupting means inoperatlve whereby to cause said opening and closing means to operate in continuous recurrent cycles.

ROBERT H. REECE. ALFRED G. GILBERT. 

